Ancient Age

What the Distillery Says:
You’ve known us a long time, and you could always count on us for quality. But even more than that, you’ve known us to make great bourbon. Well, we just got better. We’ve begun using a chill filtration system for our bourbon, which improves our color, flavor, and all around taste experience.

We’ve always taken great pride in what we put in our bottles. Now even more so.

What Richard Says:Nose: Orange blossoms, cloves, and hints of baked cherries.Palate: Orange bitters developing to orange zest. There’s a lot more citrus than I expected. There’s just a hint of sweetness poking around the corners.Finish: The finish is smooth yet bitter.Comments: The first time I became aware of Ancient Age was years ago through Stephen King’s novella Apt Pupil. Kurt Dussander, the Nazi war criminal in hiding drank bottle after bottle of Ancient Age. He described it as “cheap and good.” It’s definitely cheap. The good is subjective. I find this to be an average bourbon but it is the “orangiest” bourbon I’ve ever tried. Maybe something for the mixologists to take note of.Rating: Average

What Matt Says:Nose: Tart plums, dry dusty wood, burnt sugar and vanilla. Water brings out some tart apple (almost like a Wine Sap)Palate: Sharp and alcoholic on the sides of the tongue. Walnut husks, cinnamon bubble gum (Big Red to be exact), an almost berry sweetness and rock candy.Finish: The burn lingers and warms the throat. The finish is dominated by dusty walnut husks with a sweet/sour combination that hovers just above the tongueComments: A smoker’s whiskey. The finish slowly fades to a taste that is something very similar to cigarette ash. It’s cheap. I’ll give it that. Perhaps one of the better whiskeys at this price point. It certainly stands out against drams like Ten High and Rebel Yell. If I ever become a hobo, riding the rails and hustling for my next meal, this will probably be my whiskey of choice. Until then, I’ll stick to my Buffalo Trace and Four Roses Yellow Label for affordable bourbon.Rating: Probably Pass

2 thoughts on “Ancient Age”

It’s a shame that the AAA 10 year is not more widely available, because at twice the cost of AA it’s still a bargain and very close in profile to Elmer T. Lee. But I appreciate any reviews of bourbons, even bottom-shelf ones, so keep ’em coming.